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Optically guided munitionRelated Patent Categories: Aeronautics And Astronautics, Missile Stabilization Or Trajectory Control, Automatic Guidance, Optical (includes Infrared)Optically guided munition description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070205320, Optically guided munition. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application claims rights under 35 USC 119(e) from U.S. application Ser. No. 60/650,719, filed Feb. 7, 2005; the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates to armaments and more particularly to guided munitions. More particularly, the invention relates to a mortar shell having a low cost, effective guidance system incorporated therein to correct its ballistic guidance path to an illuminated target. [0004] 2. Background Information [0005] Mortars are one of the most commonly employed weapons in a ground combat unit. The traditional role of mortars has been to provide close and continuous fire support for maneuvering forces. Military history has repeatedly demonstrated the effectiveness of mortars. Their rapid, high-angle, plunging fires are invaluable against dug-in enemy troops and targets in defilade, which are not vulnerable to attack by direct fires. One of the major disadvantages of mortars is their comparatively low accuracy, and as a result mortars are becoming less effective in today's precision combat environment. Equipping a mortar round with a precision guidance package will increase its accuracy, enabling the mortar to be a precision munition that will be significantly more effective in wartime situations. For maximum utility, the guidance package preferably should be an inexpensive retrofit to current munitions, with a cost in production that allows its use in all situations, either as a guided or unguided weapon. [0006] Unguided munitions are subject to aim error and wind disturbances. These factors, along with other more subtle error sources, may cause the munition to miss the target completely or require many rounds to complete the fire mission due to the resulting large CEP (Circular Error Probability). Current approaches to guided weapons are expensive and are used on larger, long range weapons. The approach of the present invention results in significantly lower cost and smaller size. This allows use with small to medium caliber weapons and significantly improves CEP which also results in a significant reduction in the quantity of rounds required to complete the fire mission which in turn results in lower overall cost and improved crew survivability. In addition, another benefit to this approach is the virtual elimination of collateral damage due to errant rounds impacting non-targeted areas. Furthermore, complete integration of a seeker/guidance error can be used in a modification to the existing fuse in order to "safe" errant rounds which are failing to meet an established CEP ground rule which further controls unwanted collateral damage by preventing detonation of off target rounds. [0007] Mortars are typically unguided or guided by an expensive G&C (Guidance and Control) system. The cost is high for current guided mortars and unguided mortars may have poor accuracy. Also, unguided mortars may result in unacceptable collateral damage, excess cost due to the large number of rounds required to blanket the target area, and may expose the mortar crew to counterbattery fire due to the large time required to drop the necessary shells to saturate the target. [0008] Therefore, there is a need for a mortar shell having an accurate and cost effective means incorporated therein for guiding the mortar munitions toward a target. There is also a need for a mortar having a low cost guidance and control G&C approach which is compatible with a large class of munition rounds. Furthermore, a subsequent need exists for preventing detonation of errant munition rounds to minimize non-target specific damage and non-combatant loss of life. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0009] The present invention is a low cost optically guided munition that consists of a "smart fuse" that is composed of a three axis canard assembly, optical seeker and related detection and tracking processor, guidance and control processor and related guidance and control algorithms, and a fuse mechanism. The "smart fuse" is a replacement of the standard M734A1 and or M783 fuse assemblies commonly used today on certain mortar shells. The munition equipped with the "smart fuse" homes in on an optical tag or other types of target illuminators, such as those targets that are illuminated by a laser designator. The fuse design is a replacement for the current multi-option fuse and is compatible with many types of munitions including 60, 81, and 120 mm mortar rounds with only minor changes required to the canard frame to accommodate increased caliber. The new guided mortar approach of the present invention demonstrates a limited capability against moving targets, formally not capable of prosecution using current, non-guided, mortar rounds. This provides a significant benefit to the user, and significantly improves accuracy and resulting reduction in CEP against stationary targets. Also, integration of the seeker CEP can be utilized as an advanced cue to prevent detonation of off target rounds. [0010] The guided munition of the present invention receives error signals which are derived from an optical seeker which are inputted to a processor, which through a guidance algorithm generates the necessary steering commands which are relayed to drive motor circuits which move guidance canards to direct the munition toward a target. This process continues until the munition descends to the target with the optical seeker continuously updating an error signal to change the canards to null the error. The present invention also utilizes a plurality of gyros, preferably utilizing MEMS technology, which sense gravity induced overturning movement and provides a down reference. Furthermore, the optical seeker senses the target and looks off bore sight and uses a non-uniform pixel array. The controller makes range connections by comparing a nominal bore sight angle to measured bore sight angle as a function of time. [0011] The munition of the present invention includes a guidance control assembly comprising four canards, two of which are common to a single shaft with the other two being connected to independent shafts, with each of the shafts being controlled by a stepper motor which derives its control signals from the guidance processor. A Ram Air Turbine (RAT) air duct system provides signaling air to an alternator and switch plate assembly and to a safe/arm rotor assembly as the munition moves through the air for arming the missile. [0012] Furthermore, in accordance with another feature of the invention, the central processor subsystem processes the optical seeker output and validates an authentication code received from the target illuminator against the code provided to the munition to ensure that the munition and target are compatible. [0013] These features and advantages are obtained by the improved optically guided munition of the present invention the general nature of which may be stated as including an optical seeker for detecting an optical illuminator located at a target; a processor for generating steering commands based upon sight information received by the optical seeker; a canard assembly for changing the flight path of the munition from its ballistic flight path based upon the steering commands received from the processor; and a fuse mechanism for detonating the munition upon said munition reaching the target. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS [0014] The present invention is further described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: [0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the operation of a preferred embodiment of the optically guided munition of the present invention. [0016] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the optically guided munition of the present invention. [0017] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the optical smart fuse portion of the optically guided munition of FIG. 2. [0018] FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the optically guided munition of FIGS. 2 and 3. [0019] FIG. 5 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view with portions broken away and in section, of the optical smart fuse portion of the optically guided munition. [0020] FIG. 6 is a system block diagram of the guidance and control system of the optically guided munition of the present invention. Continue reading about Optically guided munition... Full patent description for Optically guided munition Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Optically guided munition patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. 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